


The Conservation of Energy

by Nemainofthewater



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Don't copy to another site, Family, Gen, Hope, Hopeful Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Infinity Gems, Resurrection, diverges very early into the film, fix-it in a way I guess?, nothing is ever destroyed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-08
Updated: 2019-05-08
Packaged: 2020-02-28 08:07:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18752401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nemainofthewater/pseuds/Nemainofthewater
Summary: Energy can neither be created nor destroyed; rather, it can only be transformed or transferred from one form to another.Canon divergence. Endgame spoilers.





	The Conservation of Energy

They don’t have hope. Not really. It’s a last-ditch effort because even if they don’t think it’ll work, they can’t stay stagnant either. They can’t just give up when there’s something, anything, no matter how unlikely, that they can do to save the Earth and the entire Universe.

 

But yeah. That doesn’t mean they think that they’ll win. Even with new girl Carol Danvers literally glowing next to them.

 

Thor is half hoping that he’ll go out in a blaze of glory. That’s fitting for the King of Asgard, the King of refugees, the Prince of a people slaughtered as they once slaughtered their foes. His mother is dead. His father- dead. His brother: slaughtered just as they reconciled. Jane, sweet Jane who was his first friend when he crashed into Midgard: one of the vanished. What has he got to live for? No, better to die a hero and feast with his fallen friends and brother. The surviving Asgardians have Brunnhilde to lead them, Brunnhilde who had gathered the survivors and led them to Earth when Thor had been engaged in his quest.

 

(It had been a…bad month between his failure and the arrival of Tony Stark’s vessel. A very bad month, although honestly Thor couldn’t remember most of it. Just snippets dulled by beer: Darcy’s tear stained face. The gentle pity that Steve couldn’t afford to give. Brunnhilde’s face as she looks up at him, too tired to be sardonic and asks: “What next?”)

 

So when they find Thanos and realise what he has done- when Thor learns that the Titan has destroyed all hope of reversing the Snap…

 

He might go slightly crazy.

 

_Oh well done Brother. Because that’s definitely solved the problem. It amazes me that you’ve managed for so long without a brain Thor._

Thor doesn’t respond to the voice in his head, the one that sounds exactly like Loki. Instead he flies home. And gets another beer.

 

He feels like he’s walking underwater, words and accusations muffled in his ears. The rest of the ‘Avengers’ are staying at Stark’s tower for the time being, and it’s a cruel mockery of they once had, the camaraderie before the lies and recriminations and battles. Or maybe they never had it, the bonds of friendship that Thor remembers. Maybe the dangerous undercurrents were always there and he was never aware enough to see them, lost in his own vainglorious notions of glory and battle lust.

 

No matter. What use is there thinking of the past? None. Especially when it hurts so much.

 

Thor claims all the beer he can find and retreats into his assigned room, unchanged from when he was last here years ago. And then he starts to drink. And doesn’t stop.

 

It’s around beer 15 that he sees him. Loki. His younger brother. Gaunt and pale with strain, looking as he did onboard the _Statesman_ although thankfully without the broken neck. That’s strange. The Loki that haunts his dreams always stares up at him with his dead eyes, neck sickeningly twisted to the side. Sometimes he’s being stabbed through the chest just for variety. The fact that this Loki is whole and relatively well is…slightly anticlimactic.

 

“Have we come to the hallucinations then?” Thor asks blearily toasting it, “Maybe this beer is stronger than I thought. I owe Stark an apology.”

 

The hallucination frowns down at him.

 

“Thor you idiot,” it says, “Is drinking truly your solution to everything? I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that your coping habits are as abysmal as ever.”

 

“I miss you brother,” Thor says tenderly, reaching toward the hallucination, yearning to touch his brother, knowing that his hand would go straight through the ghostly form.

 

Loki blinks.

 

“Well. As nice as the sentiment is I would rather you do something useful for once in your oafish life. Such as coming to pick me up. I don’t seem to be able to die, but I have to tell you that drifting through space is not my idea of fun. I don’t know why things have a tendency to blow up around you Thor, but you should really know better. You’re the God of Thunder not Chaos: stop encroaching on my territory.”

 

“You’ve never been this talkative before,” Thor says, “Mainly you just scream.”

 

“Well that’s a horrifying insight into your psyche that I didn’t need. But as I don’t know how much longer I can keep projecting, if you could get past this whole Loki-is-a-hallucination stage, I would appreciate it.”

 

He pauses. Thor doesn’t say anything, drinking in the familiar sight of his little brother, a sardonic tilt to his lips.

 

“Fine. I can see that you’re going to be useless. Maybe your girlfriend can knock some sense into you.”

 

Even knowing it was useless, Thor can’t help his instinctive lunge forward as his brother’s ghost, hallucination, whatever he is, disappears. There’s an ache in his chest and it’s growing more and more painful with every passing day. He downs another beer.

 

There’s a knock on his door.

 

“Thor? You have a visitor.”

 

“Go away,” Thor growls, picking up another bottle and unscrewing the lid with one violent twist.

 

The door slides open and Thor starts to curse the perfidy of Friday, Tony’s new servant, whose treachery runs deep. Only to stop. Because standing there in the doorway, haloed in a red glow is…

 

“…Jane?”

 

#

 

“I don’t know what happened,” Jane says, perched on the edge of the couch cushion in the common area. The rest of the Avengers- what’s left of them- have gathered, all save Carol Danvers who is probably light years away by now and off saving other planets from wreck and ruin.

 

“One minute I was in Tromso, arguing with Darcy about whether Poptarts count as food, and the next I was waking up in naked in an abandoned building with all this-” she shudders, and her eyes briefly flare red, “-power under my skin. I recognise it. And it recognises me. It’s the Aether, Thor. I don’t know how or why, but it is. It feels like last time but- more settled. Like it belongs in me.”

 

“The Aether?” Natasha asks from where she is standing, arms crossed, in a shadowed corner.

 

“The Reality Stone,” Thor says, “Jane was briefly possessed by it before I brought her to meet my parents. My father made a tasteless comment about a goat. But that’s not important. What’s important is that it’s impossible. Thanos destroyed all the Stones.”

 

Jane shrugs. “I don’t know about Thanos,” she says, “But I’ve been practising and-” she makes a gesture with her hand and the pillow next to her turns into brightly coloured butterflies which hang in the air for a few seconds before disintegrating into ash. Jane winces. “I’m not that good,” she says apologetically.

 

They all stare at her.

 

“I take it she couldn’t do that before?” Rocket asks.

 

“No…” Thor says slowly, “Jane: you’ve been imbued with the powers of the Reality Stone? How can this be? Last time it possessed you, you were dying.”

 

“Maybe…” Bruce says, “Maybe all this isn’t as impossible as we think. Energy can’t be created or destroyed, right? Thanos wouldn’t have been able to truly destroy them: they would exist as subatomic particles if nothing else. And… You said that Jane was possessed by the Reality Stone before? Maybe the particles were drawn to her. They needed a new host, and since she was already entangled with it on a quantum level…”

 

“Hold up,” Rocket says, “She was dead. Dusted. Gone. How the hell does is that supposed to work? The Stone brought her back to life or something?”

 

“Anything is possible with the power of an Infinity Stone,” Nebula says flatly.

 

“I saw Loki,” Thor says slowly, “He appeared to me in my room not two hours ago. If Jane has been brought back to life by a Stone, then maybe he has as well. He asked me to fetch him from space.”

 

Rocket snorts. “Space. Hah. Well that’s specific.”

 

The pain in Thor’s chest is warping. Still a sharp ache but tempered by something that might be hope.

 

“Rabbit,” he says desperately, “Do you still have the coordinates? From where you picked me up a month ago?”

 

Rocket blinks. “They should be saved in the ship’s computer,” he says slowly, “But Thor, you don’t seriously think…”

 

“I don’t know what I think,” he says, “All I know is that there’s a chance that my brother is alive.”

 

“More importantly,” Steve says, leaning forward and eyes narrowing, “If the Stones have taken human hosts then there’s still a chance to undo the snap. We can bring everyone back.”

 

Thor looks around. There’s something in the air. Something that’s been missing since the battle of Wakanda, when Thor failed.

 

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Natasha says but Thor can see it in her eyes too. Hope.

 

“If the Stones really are bringing back people who’re quantum entangled with them,” Rhodey says, “Then…Vision should be in Wakanda right now.”

 

Thor rises abruptly. He is sober, maddeningly so, for the first time in a month.

 

“I don’t have time for this,” he growls, “I need to find my brother.”

 

Steve raises his hands placatingly. “I understand,” he says soothingly, ignoring the muttered: “I don’t,” from Rhodey, “But we need to have a plan. We need to make sure this works: the Universe is counting on us.”

 

“How’s this for a plan,” Rocket says, “The god of drunks and me take our ship and tall blue and scary,” he points to Nebula, “And we go check out Titan. Because the time wizard and Quill , two more people who’ve used Infinity stones, both died on that planet. Oh. And we pick up Thor’s genocidal brother on the way out.”

 

“He’s actually not the most genocidal member of our family anymore.”

 

“I’ll show you where Titan is,” Nebula says in a low voice, “And we will collect Quill. But after that we travel to Vormir.”

 

“What’s on Vormir?” Bruce asks gently.

 

“My sister.”

 

#

 

The plan as it stands is simple. Three of them, Thor (he insisted), Rocket (it’s his ship) and Nebula (she threatened to stab anyone who wouldn’t let her go) will collect Loki before finding the rest of the resurrected hosts while the rest of the Avengers concentrate on finding Vision and helping Jane harness the full powers of the Reality Stone.

 

(“Preferably without wiping the rest of the Universe out,” Bruce mutters but Thor, still high on giddy optimism and possibly the beer, ignores him)

 

Steve had wanted more of them to go, but Natasha had pointed out that they were needed on Earth. Where the government needed stabilising and the traumatised survivors needed help and hope that things could get better. Plus, they weren’t sure whether they’d be able to restock on supplies once they left Earth, and nobody wanted a repeat of Tony’s experience of slowly suffocating to death. Least of all the man himself.

 

“Keep in contact,” Tony says, fixing a small transmitter to the side of their ship, up and about already despite the doctors’ warnings, “Don’t forget to call mom regularly: you know how protective Steve gets. I’ll jury-rig a gauntlet for when you guys get back. Figure out some way to replicate the power readings from the snap.”

 

“We shall return shortly, Man of Iron,” Thor says, “And we will return victorious.”

 

Tony hesitantly claps his on the shoulder. “Of course you will,” he says. Thor can see that he’s doubtful, but it is of no matter. Because they will succeed.

 

Nebula steps forward and, with an emotionless face wraps her arms around Tony and carefully hugs him.

 

“I will bring them back Stark,” She hisses into his ear, “Or I will burn down the galaxy trying.”

 

“Well on that frankly horrifying note,” Tony says, forced joviality in every word, “It’s time for you happy campers to be off.”

 

Nebula gives and sharp nod and stalks into the bowel of the ship.

 

“Don’t expect me to hug you Stark,” Rocket says before following after her.

 

“We will bring them all back,” Thor repeats, “Everyone we have lost.” And before Tony can respond, he too enters the ship.

 

Rocket doesn’t even glance up at him from where he’s fiddling with the console. The ship rumbles and lifts off, making her way out of the Earth’s atmosphere and into the cold depths of space.

 

“You really did a number on her,” Rocket grouses, typing into a screen, “But I’ve found the coordinates we picked you up from. Strap in folks. We’re making the jump in: five, four, three, two-”

 

The gravitational forces push Thor back against his seat until they reappear in a different quadrant. They’re definitely in the right place: Thor can see the debris of the destroyed _Statesman_ floating around them. He swallows and pushes back the memories of fear and desperation and death. A body hits the front of the ship and bounces off and Thor flinches at the sight of a young girl’s corpse. He desperately wishes for a beer.

 

“Any idea how we’re supposed to find your brother in all this mess?” Rocket asks.

 

“No need,” comes a tired voice behind them, and Thor spins around so quickly he almost strangles himself with his harness. He scrambles to undo it, literally falling out of his seat when the straps finally detach.

 

“As elegant as ever brother.”

 

And Loki is alive. Alive, eyes glowing an eerie blue the exact shade of the Tesseract. Alive and very naked.

 

Thor makes a choking sound and hurried to remove his cloak so that he can wrap it around his brother. It is good to see him, but he doesn’t need to see quite so much of him.

 

“I hadn’t realised you’d taken up a side job as a maiden aunt,” Loki taunts, but his words lack any real sting. Instead he draws the cloak around himself like a shield, and sits heavily on the floor, as if his legs have stopped supporting him.

 

Thor drops onto his knees besides him and draws him into a fierce hug. Loki is shaking: he shouldn’t be shaking. Not his brother.  

 

“You’re here,” he chokes out, “You’re really here.” Tangible. Real. Warm, not like the last time he’d held his brother, pale and still and becoming stiff in his arms.

 

“I sensed your entrance into the system,” Loki replies tiredly, “I thought I’d come and meet you. I’ve managed to figure out short jumps at the very least.” And his eyes flash blue once again. Thor ignores it.

 

“Promise me brother,” he says, “Promise me that you won’t die again. I fear that my heart can’t take the strain.”

 

Loki leans his head tiredly on Thor’s shoulder. “Didn’t I say that the sun would shine on us again?” he says in lieu of answer, clutching at Thor with equal intensity.

 

“Not to interrupt this heart-warming reunion,” Rocket says, “But we’re about to jump, so if you don’t want to end up splattered against the side of the ship you might want to strap in.”

 

Thor slips his arms underneath Loki’s frail body, and rises to his feet, ignoring his brother’s vehement protests. He settles himself back into his seat adjusting his hold so that Loki sits more comfortably on his lap.

 

“Let go of me,” Loki hisses, but Thor pretends that he can’t hear him. There’s no way in Hel that he’s letting go of his brother. Not yet and probably not for a while. Loki will just have to learn to deal with it.

 

“Kinky,” Rocket says, and before Thor can respond he’s punched in the coordinates and they’re off to Titan.

 

#

 

It is surprisingly easy to find them. Not just because Nebula actually remembers the exact coordinates, but also because there is a giant golden beacon extending up into the atmosphere, calling them in to land.

 

Thor can see them standing outside. Peter Quill and a dark-haired man he assumes is Doctor Strange. Neither of them has any clothes either, although Strange doesn’t look overly bothered by the fact.

 

“Finally,” he says once they’ve landed, “I was starting to think that you’d never show up.”

 

He strides past Rocket and Nebula, who are respectively giving Peter an awkward hug and staring at him menacingly and into to the shade of the ship. Strange makes his way unerringly to the crew lockers, sparing a nod for Loki who literally hisses at him, and pulls out a pair of pants and a slightly large T-shirt that can only belong to Peter.

 

“Now,” he says, turning to face them once he’s dressed, green eyes flashing, “Let’s not waste any time.” He makes his way over to the console and types in a long string of coordinates.

 

“Hey!” Rocket says, “Hands off the ship Earth boy.”

 

Strange looks disdainful.

 

“They’re coordinates to Vormir,” he says, nonetheless allowing himself to be pushed to the side as Rocket moves to check what he’s entered.

 

“It’s fine Rocket,” Peter says, “Doctor Strange is like. An actual space wizard.”

 

“Well excuse if I don’t trust the word of two humans,” Rocket says, “Honestly Quill, I’m surprised on a daily basis that you can even get yourself out of bed without straining something.”

 

“Hey!” Peter protests, “Are we just ignoring that cool bonding moment where you totally hugged me because you’re secretly a softy and missed me?”

 

“We’re wasting time!” Nebula says flatly, interjecting. “Stop your useless male posturing and take me to my sister.”

 

#

 

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Thor says, watching the two sisters. Nebula had thrown herself at Gamora with a cry as soon as they had landed and the two of them are standing there, clinging to one another. Gamora too has the glowing eyes that Thor has associated with those resurrected by the Infinity Stones, this time a deep orange, and she moves like something _other_. Something transcendent. He’d only briefly met Gamora before, but more than any of the other hosts, she seems the most changed.

 

“You sentimental oaf,” Loki says. He pauses. “But yes,” he says quietly, “It is…beautiful. Seeing them reunited. A far cry from when I knew them last.”

 

Thor…wants to ask him about that. But later. He can do so later. For now he is content. He has his brother back, and if he truly has the power of the Space Stone at his fingertips he should be, if nothing else, much harder to kill. Stark had called them and informed them that they had located Vision, and that he too could harness the rudimentary powers of the Mind Stone.

 

He doesn’t know how long it will take until they can successfully replicate the snap and bring all the vanished back. He doesn’t know what hosting an Infinity Stone does to a person, whether they have become beings of eternal power, immortal and unchanging or whether when the hosts die the Stones will leave and search for another form to inhabit. He doesn’t know a lot of things, a not uncommon state of being as Loki would say.

 

But he knows this if nothing else. For the first time in a while… He is happy.

**Author's Note:**

> I just really liked the idea of people being resurrected as hosts for infinity stones? 
> 
> Feel free to play around in this universe if this inspires you, just send me a link to whatever you create (and maybe credit me?)  
> I am on Tumblr as [Nemainofthewater ](https://nemainofthewater.tumblr.com)


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